ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s tale Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, as well as
its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, have the
reputation of being the most quoted and translated texts of all time, after the Bible
and Shakespeare. The status of the Alice books as timeless classics is confirmed by
the numerous translations and adaptations of the texts that have already been made
and is still being made. In this study, a descriptive investigation of André P. Brink’s
Afrikaans translation of Carroll’s classic children’s books is undertaken in order to
investigate whether the translation is still suitable for Afrikaans readers today. Brink’s
Afrikaans translation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was published in 1965,
and his translation of Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There in
1968.
Firstly, an overview of the most important theoretical contributions to translation
studies since the nineteen-eighties is given to provide a foundation for the
investigation and description of translations. Relevant terminology, such as
adequacy and acceptability, will be explained. Emphasis will especially be placed on
the interaction between the theoretical contributions, which will serve as a basis for
the conclusion drawn regarding the suitability of the translation. The conclusion will
be based on an application where the translation will be investigated.
The translation is studied from a theoretical point of view on macrostructural as well
as microstructural level. In the macrostructural analysis, references to the title, cover
pages, illustrations, chapter titles, and the (in)visibility of the translator will be made.
The microstructural analysis comprises an investigation of how Brink dealt with
translation problems that arose during the particular translation. As a result of the
investigation of the translation, conclusions can be drawn regarding the suitability of
the translation for current readers. A recommendation on the possibility of a
retranslation is also offered.